If someone you care for has dementia, there’s a good chance you’ve already had the moment where you can’t find them. They’ve gone out of the front door, or they’re walking the landing at 3am, or they’ve told you, standing in their own kitchen, that they need to go home.
This guide explains why people with dementia wander, the signs that it may be about to start, and what helps, both at home and if the worst happens and they go missing. The Alzheimer’s Society prefers to call it “walking about”, because the person nearly always has a reason for going, even if they can’t explain it. We use “wandering” here because it’s the word most families search for, but the point stands. It’s rarely aimless.
Do all people with dementia wander?
No, but most will at some point. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that six in ten people living with dementia will wander at least once, and many do it repeatedly. It can happen at any stage, including early on, when the person is still going out alone and can seem perfectly capable.
Why do people with dementia wander?
There’s usually a need or a belief behind it. These are the most common triggers:
- Memory loss. They set off somewhere and forget where they were going, or how to get back. Or they go looking for something they’ve put down and can’t remember where.
- Confusion about the time. Waking in the night and believing it’s morning, time to get up, go to work or collect the children.
- Pain or discomfort. Walking can be a way of coping with pain, feeling too hot or cold, needing the toilet, or being hungry or thirsty, especially if they can no longer say so.
- Restlessness and anxiety. Dementia can cause agitation that makes it hard to sit still, and walking eases it.
- Boredom. Too little to do, and too few people to do it with.
- Too little exercise. Someone who has always been active may simply have energy to burn.
- Old habits. Following a routine from years ago, such as a walk to the shops, the old route to work or a visit to a friend.
- Looking for someone or something from the past. A parent, a partner who has died, a childhood home.
- Feeling lost. Even at home, especially if furniture has moved, they’ve recently moved house, or they’re somewhere unfamiliar such as a hospital or a relative’s home.
Working out which of these is behind it is the most useful thing you can do, because the answer to “how do I stop this?” depends on the reason.
Restlessness, pacing and other warning signs
Wandering often starts with smaller changes. Look out for:
- Coming back from a familiar walk or drive later than expected
- Getting lost on a route they’ve known for years
- Talking about going to work, or other past commitments
- Asking to go home when they’re already at home
- Pacing, restlessness or repeating the same movements
- Struggling to find the toilet or bedroom
- Asking after people who have died
- Becoming anxious in busy or unfamiliar places
Walking about at night and sundowning
Many families find the evening and night the hardest. Some people become more confused, restless or anxious from late afternoon onwards, which is often called sundowning. Poor sleep, disturbed body clocks and simply not being able to tell the time from the light outside can all lead to someone getting up and heading out in the dark, when it’s colder and far fewer people are about to notice them.
A steady daytime routine with some fresh air and activity, less caffeine later in the day, a night light and a clear route to the toilet can all help. If night-time walking starts suddenly or gets worse, mention it to their GP, because pain, an infection or a change in medication can be behind it.
When they keep saying they want to go home
This is one of the most common and upsetting things families hear. “Home” often means a feeling rather than a place: somewhere they felt safe and useful, or a house from decades ago. Arguing that they’re already home rarely helps. It usually works better to acknowledge the feeling (“you’re missing home”), ask them about it, and gently offer something reassuring, whether that’s a cup of tea, a familiar photo or a short walk together.
Why wandering can be dangerous
- Getting lost. Someone can become disorientated a few streets from home and be unable to ask for help or give their address.
- Roads and weather. Busy roads, water, and cold or wet weather are real dangers, particularly at night or if they’ve gone out without a coat.
- Trips and injuries. Long walks on uneven ground add to the risk of an accident, and they may not be able to tell anyone they’re hurt.
- Vulnerability. They may accept help from the wrong person, or struggle to explain themselves to the police or a stranger.
The good news is that most people are found close by. The Alzheimer’s Association notes that many are found within a mile and a half of where they went missing, which is why acting quickly matters so much.
The strain on families is real too. Constantly listening for the front door takes a toll, and it’s one reason many carers look at the options below.
How to stop someone with dementia wandering, or make it safer
You can’t always stop it, and trying to keep someone indoors against their will often makes them more distressed. The aim is to reduce the reasons for it and make sure that, if they do go out, they’re safe and easy to find. Some people with dementia can still walk alone with the right precautions in place.
Meet the need behind it
- Check the basics regularly: hunger, thirst, the toilet, pain, feeling too hot or cold.
- Keep a daily routine and build in exercise, ideally a walk together at the time they usually want to go out.
- Give them things to do that feel useful, such as folding washing, gardening or sorting post.
- Arrange company, whether that’s family visits, a day centre or a befriending service.
Make the home safer
- Fit door sensors or a simple chime so you know when an outside door opens.
- Keep car keys, coats and outdoor shoes out of sight if they act as a cue to leave.
- Put clear signs or pictures on the toilet and bedroom doors.
- Keep the home well lit, especially the route from the bedroom to the toilet at night.
Use GPS tracking and geofencing
Nobody can watch someone every minute of the day. A dementia tracking watch lets you set a safe area, known as a geofence, around their home or regular walk. If they go beyond it, you get an alert straight away, so you can act in minutes rather than hours. You can call them on the watch to reassure them and talk them home, and the app shows exactly where they are if you need to go and find them or pass their location to the police. You can read more about how GPS tracking for dementia works and about geofencing for dementia care.
A tracker only helps if it’s worn. If there’s a chance they’ll take it off, a lockable watch strap means it stays on.
Be prepared: the Herbert Protocol
The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme, backed by police forces across the UK, that helps officers find a person with dementia quickly if they go missing. It’s named after George Herbert, a war veteran with dementia who went missing while searching for his childhood home.
You fill in a form in advance with a recent photo, a description, medical details, and the places that matter to them, such as old addresses, former workplaces and favourite spots. If they go missing, you hand it straight to the police, which saves valuable time at the moment you’re least able to think clearly. Dementia UK explains how to fill it in.
What to do if someone with dementia goes missing
- Check the house, garden, garage and car first, then the places they like to go or talk about.
- If they wear a tracker, check their location in the app and call the watch.
- If you can’t find them quickly, call 999. You don’t have to wait 24 hours to report a vulnerable person missing.
- Give the police the Herbert Protocol form if you have one, or a recent photo and a description of what they’re wearing.
- Ask a neighbour or family member to stay at home in case they come back.
Summary
Wandering is common in dementia, and it’s almost always driven by a reason: a need, a memory, a feeling of being lost. Understanding that reason is the key to reducing it. Alongside that, a few practical steps make a big difference: a safer home, a filled-in Herbert Protocol form, and a way of knowing quickly if they’ve gone further than they should. With those in place, the person you care for can keep more of their freedom, and you can worry a little less.
